Fatting attachment for skinning machines

ABSTRACT

A fatting attachment for skinning machines comprising a curved fatting blade mounted above the skinning blade of the machine. Adjustment means is secured to one end of the fatting blade so that the fatting blade can be moved toward and away from the skinning blade to vary the depth of the fatting blade in the fat.

United States Patent Beasley 1 July 4, 1972 s41 FATTING ATTACHMENT FOR[56] ReferencesCited SKINNING MACHINES I UNITED STATES PATENTS I2,715,427 8/1955 Townsend ..l46/l30 {72] Inventor; Dona L Beasley DesMoines, I 5,207,197 9/1965 WIlCOX ..l46/13O X [73] Assignee: TownsendEngine ng Company, D s v 1 Primary Examiner-Willie G. Abercrombie QMoines, Iowa AttorneyZarley, McKee & Thomte l l PP No.1 56,319 A fattingattachment for skinning machines comprising a curved fatting blademounted above the skinning blade of the machine. Adjustment means issecured to one end of the fatting blade so that the fatting blade'can bemoved toward and away from the skinning blade to vary the depth of thefatting blade in the fat.

4 Claims, 11 Drawing Figures PATENTEDJUL 4 I972 sun-:11 or 2 FA'I'TINGATTACHMENT FOR SKINNING MACHINES This invention relates to animprovement in the fatting attachment for the skinning machine disclosedin US. Pat. No. 2,715,427 of Aug. 16, 1955. This invention relates to afatting attachment for a skinning machine of the type shown in US. Pat.No. Re. 23,222 of Apr. 25, I950.

The fatting attachment and the skinning machine of the above patentswere used primarily to remove skin and fat from hams. The presentinvention relates to an attachment for a skinning machinewhichadjustably removes an arcuate layer of fat from pork butts. Thestraight fatting blade of US. Pat. No. 2,7 I 5,427 cannot remove arcuatelayers of fat from pork butts and thus results in a less than efficientfatting operation. Further, the straight fatting blade of US Pat. No.2,715,427 does not have the capability to efficiently accommodate porkbutts having varying skin and fat thicknesses.

Therefore, it is a principal object of this invention to provide afatting attachment for skinning machines.

A further object of this invention is to provide a fatting attachmentfor skinning machines including a curved fatting blade.

A further object of this invention is to provide a fatting attachmentfor skinning machines and means for selectively adjusting the fattingblade with respect to the skinning blade.

A further object of this invention is to provide a fatting attachmentfor skinning machines which permits the removal of arcuate layers of fatfrom pork butts.

A further object of this invention is to provide a fatting attachmentfor skinning machines which accommodates pork butts having varying skinand fat thicknesses.

A further object of this invention is to provide a fatting attachmentfor skinning machines including a curved fatting blade which is quicklyadjustable toward and away from the skinning blade to vary its depth inthe fat, and wherein the fatting blade always maintains the same arc.

A further object of this invention is to provide a fatting attachmentfor skinning machines which is economical of manufacture, durable in useand refined in appearance.

These and other objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

This invention consists in the construction, arrangements, andcombination of the various parts of the device, whereby the objectscontemplated are attained as hereinafter more fully set forth,specifically pointed out in the claims, and illustrated in theaccompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a skinning machine having the fattingattachment of this invention mounted thereon;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the fatting attachment of this inventionmounted in a skinning machine;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view as seen along lines 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view as seen along lines 4-4 of FIG. 3with portions thereof cut away to more fully illustrate the invention;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional view as seen along lines 55 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary top elevational view of the fatting blade;

FIG. 7 is a view generally similar to FIG. 5 as seen along lines 77 ofFIG. illustrating the skinning blade and fatting blade removing a layerof skin and fat from a pork butt;

FIG. 8 is an end view of a pork butt;

FIG. 9 is a top view of a pork butt;

FIG. 10 depicts the curved fatting blade removing an arcuate layer offat from the pork butt, and

FIG. 1 1 is a partial end view illustrating a modified form of thefatting attachment.

The numeral 10 refers generally to a skinning machine such as disclosedin US. Pat. No. Re. 23,222. Machine 10 generally comprises a housing 12mounted on a pedestal 14. A feed table 16 is mounted forwardly of a feedroller 18, the roller being provided with a plurality of peripheralgrooves and gripping teeth. Pressure shoe supports 20 and 22 arepivotally connected at opposite ends of the feed roller as illustratedin FIGS. 4 and 5 and have a pressure shoe 24 secured thereto andextending therebetween. Pressure shoe 24 has an arcuate surface 26formed at the forward end thereof which is closely positionedadjacentthe feed roller 18 to maintain the proper pressure on the skinbeing removed from the pork butts. A skinning blade 28 is supported bythe pressure shoe 24 and is adapted to remove the skin 30 from a porkbutt 32. Means (not shown) is provided to maintain the pressure shoe andskinning blade in the proper position with respect to the feed rollerand the skin 30.

As seen in FIG. 5, bracket 34 is secured to the rearward end of pressureshoe support 20 by bolts 36 and 38 and extends upwardly and forwardlytherefrom. Bracket.34 includes a collar portion 40 at its'upper endadapted to receive pin 42 therein. Fatting blade support 44 is pivotallyconnected to the bracket 34 by means ofv the pin 42 extending throughears 46 and 48 in the manner illustrated in FIG. 5.

Collar 50 is secured to the rearward'end of pressure shoe ment screw 56extends through collar 50 and has a threaded lower end portion 58threadably extending through a boss 60 secured to the lower end ofcollar 50 by bolts 62 and 64. Bushing 66 is provided at the upper end ofcollar 50 and embraces the cylindrical portion of the adjustment screw56. Yoke 68 rotatably embraces the upperv end portion of screw 56 andhas a pair of yoke arms 70 and 72 extending inwardly therefrom in aspaced apart relationship. Arm 74 is received between the yoke arms 70and 72 and is pivotally connected thereto by means of pin 76 extendingtherethrough. Arm 74 has a collar 78 provided at its upper end adaptedto receive the pin 80 therein. Fatting blade support 82 is pivotallyconnected to the collar 78 by means of pin 80 extending through cars 84and 86 in the manner illustrated in FIG. 4. Crank handle 88 is securedto the upper end of adjustment screw 56 by pin 90 to provide a quickmeans for threadably rotating the adjustment screw 56 in the boss 60 toraise and lower the yoke 68 with respect to the collar 50.

Fatting blade 92 is secured to the fatting blade supports 44 and 82 bybolts 94 and extends therebetween. Fatting blade 92 includes a pluralityof spaced apart upper teeth 96 and a plurality of spaced apart lowerteeth 98 which are vertically spaced from the teeth 96 and which arestaggered with respect thereto. A replaceable blade member 100 isreceived between the upper teeth 96 and lower teeth 98 as illustrated inFIG. 6 and has its leading edge 102 positioned forwardly thereof. Theblade member 100 is secured to the fatting blade 92 and supports 44 and82 by bolts 104. The yoke 68 is limited in its downward movement bymeans of an adjustment screw means 106 adapted to engage the lower endof arm 74 to prevent the fatting blade 92 from being moved too closelyadjacent the skinning blade. As seen in FIGS. 2 and 3, the fatting blade92 is curved along its length.

In operation, the machine 10 is used to simultaneously remove the skin30 and a layer of fat 108 from the pork butt 32. The pork butt 32 isplaced on the feed table 16 so that the skinning blade 28 can remove theskin 30 from the pork butt 32 and so that the fatting blade 92 canremove an arcuate layer of fat 108 from the pork butt. The rotation ofthe adjust ment screw 56 by means of the crank handle 88 permits theadjustment of the curved fatting blade 92 toward or away from theskinning blade to vary the depth of the fatting blade in the fat. Theraising of the yoke 68 with respect to the collar 50 causes the left end(as viewed in FIG. 3) of the fatting blade 92 to be raised and pivotedabout the pin 80 which causes the fatting blade 92 to be moved away fromthe skinning blade. The raising of the left end of the fatting blade 92causes the right end of the fatting blade to pivot about pin 42. Themovement of the fatting blade 92 away from the skinning blade permitsthe fatting blade 92 to remove a thicker layer of fat from the porkbutt. The curved fatting blade more closely conforms to the shape of thepork butt as seen in FIGS. 8, 9 and 10. When a pork butt having a tickskin and layer of fat is encountered, the fatting blade 92 is raisedwith respect to the skinning blade with the pork butt being moved to oneside of the lowermost portion of the fatting blade.

, 3 4 I Thus it can be seen that a unique fatting attachment has securedto said boss for limiting the movement of said'fatting been provided forskinning machines which permits the .atblade towards the skinning blade.

tachment to accommodate pork butts having various skin and 3; Afattingattachment for skinning machines having a V fat thicknesses. Theattachment to this invention permits the skinning blade thereon,comprising,

removal of an arcuate layer of fat from the pork butt which 5anelongated fatting blade having opposite ends,

results in a more efficient skinning and fatting operation being a firstsupport means secured to said machine adjacent one perfonned. FIG. 11merely illustrates the fact that the crank end of said skinning bladeand extending upwardly handle and associated structure can be mounted atthe optherefrom, ,posite end of the fatting blade to provide a left-handara second support means secured to said machine adjacent rangement. theother end of said skinning blade and extending up- Thus it can be seenthat the attachment accomplishes at wardly therefrom, least all of itsstated objectives. said fatting blade being pivotally secured at itssaid one end l claim: about a vertically fixed axis to said firstsupport means, 1. A fatting attachment for skinning machines,comprising, Said Second s pport m ans in luding height adjustable anelongated fatting blade having opposite ends, 15 mounting meansoperatively pivotally secured to said end means for mounting saidfatting blade on the skinning Ofsaid fatting blade whereby said otherend Ofsaid fatting machine adjacent a skinning blade thereof so thatsaid blade y be ively raised n l r d ith r sp ct fatting blade isadjustable toward or away from the to said Skinning blade, Said heightadjustable mounting skinning blade to vary its depth in the fat, meanscomprising a double pivot linkage means which inid f i bl d b i curvedalong i l h to permit the terconnects said adjustment means and saidother end of fatting blade to remove an arcuate piece of fat, F i gblade, i said skinning machine comprising an elongated pressure Saidfatting blade being curved its length P the shoe which supports saidskinning blade, first and second fatting blade to remove an al'cuatePiece of brackas secured to opposite ends f said pressure shoe 4 Theattachment of claim 3 wherein the center of said one end f said f ttiblade being pivotally Secured to fatting blade IS offset laterally withrespect to the center of said fi brack t a boss secured to said secondbracket said skinning blade and wherein said fatting blade is uniformlyan adjustable screw means threadably mounted in said 'F Saidheightfidjuslable mountingfneafls Same boss and extending upwardlytherefrom, the other end of relative arcuate position with respect tosaid skinning blade resaid fatting blade being rotatably and pivotallyconnected gardlcss of the adlusted Posmon of Sam famng blade with tosaid adjustment screw means at the upper end thereof. respect to SaidSkinning blade 2. The attachment of claim 1 wherein a stop means is

1. A fatting attachment for skinning machines, comprising, an elongatedfatting blade having opposite ends, means for mounting said fattingblade on the skinning machine adjacent a skinning blade thereof so thatsaid fatting blade is adjustable toward or away from the skinning bladeto vary its depth in the fat, said fatting blade being curved along itslength to permit the fatting blade to remove an arcuate piece of fat,said skinning machine comprising an elongated pressure shoe whichsupports said skinning blade, first and second brackets secured toopposite ends of said pressure shoe, one end of said fatting blade beingpivotally secured to said first bracket, a boss secured to said secondbracket, an adjustable screw means threadably mounted in said boss andextending upwardly therefrom, the other end of said fatting blade beingrotatably and pivotally connected to said adjustment screw means at theupper end thereof.
 2. The attachment of claim 1 wherein a stop means issecured to said boss for limiting the movement of said fatting bladetowards the skinning blade.
 3. A fatting attachment for skinningmachines having a skinning blade thereon, comprising, an elongatedfatting blade having opposite ends, a first support means secured tosaid machine adjacent one end of said skinning blade and extendingupwardly therefrom, a second support means secured to said machineadjacent the other end of said skinning blade and extending upwardlytherefrom, said fatting blade being pivotally secured at its said oneend about a vertically fixed axis to said first support means, saidsecond support means including height adjustable mounting meansoperatively pivotally secured to said end of said fatting blade wherebysaid other end of said fatting blade may be selectively raised andlowered with respect to said skinning blade, said height adjustablemounting means comprising a double pivot linkage means whichinterconnects said adjustment means and said other end of said fattingblade, said fatting blade being curved along its length to permit thEfatting blade to remove an arcuate piece of fat.
 4. The attachment ofclaim 3 wherein the center of said fatting blade is offset laterallywith respect to the center of said skinning blade and wherein saidfatting blade is uniformly curved, said height adjustable mounting meansin the same relative arcuate position with respect to said skinningblade regardless of the adjusted position of said fatting blade withrespect to said skinning blade.